When I Come Home
by Ariadnerue
Summary: Asbel/Cheria, oneshot. He missed her, plain and simple.


__Disclaimer: Tales of Graces f belongs to Namco Bandai

If you've never played any of the Tales series of games, you're missing out. It's my favorite series, and the most recent one released in the US, Tales of Graces f, was full of sappy romance subplots and I loved it. So here's my version of what happens after the end of Lineage & Legacies.

Spoilers for the end of the game.

* * *

><p>Asbel paused in his work to wipe some sweat from his forehead. Sophie was humming to herself nearby.<p>

"I didn't realize how much work this would be," Asbel admitted with a sigh. Sophie looked up at him and smiled, her hands covered in dirt.

"You were the one who wanted to help me with the garden," she pointed out cheerfully.

"I know, I know," Asbel waved this off, making Sophie giggle. He couldn't help but smile back. "I guess it helps me feel more connected to my dad."

"He'd be really proud of you," Sophie replied. "Just look at all the pretty new flowers!"

Asbel sat back and brushed the dirt from his knees, looking slowly around. He and Sophie were sitting in the grass on the manor's front lawn, tending to the flowerbeds. It was mid-spring, and the gentle rains had made everything fresh and green. The sopherias were in full bloom and had begun glowing at night, so Sophie was sure they were due for another blossomgale soon.

So she had gone out early in the morning to get rid of the weeds, and Asbel had asked to help. He'd finished all his paperwork the day before, and he wanted to fill in more of his father's flower journal. Now it was just past noon, and the sun was high and bright. Asbel's jacket had been strewn aside an hour previously.

"They do look nice," Asbel said with a grin. Sophie beamed back at him and returned to her work. He turned his eyes skyward, letting the breeze cool him off as his thoughts began to whirl.

It had been eight months since Fodra's core, and the only one who had come to visit was Hubert. He stopped by every couple of weeks to have tea with their mother and check up on Lhant. He never stayed more than a day, though, and Asbel and Sophie were missing their friends. Hubert had been in contact with Pascal through the use of her mechanical pigeon, and she and Malik were still hard at work on Fendel's valkines. Richard sent letters occasionally, keeping Asbel up to date on the state of Windor.

But the one person Asbel missed most of all was the one he hadn't heard from. He heard news of her through the grapevine every so often, mostly from traveling merchants and Turtlez. Hubert had seen her in Strahta once a few months ago and told Asbel about it, only to be bombarded with questions about her. How was she? Did she look well? Where had she been? Where was she going next? Who was she with? When was she coming home? He had only rudimentary answers, much to Asbel's disappointment. They had only spoken for a few moments before she had to run off again, apparently.

On the bright side, Lady Keri had stopped pestering Asbel about marriage when she saw how he was pining for Cheria. He told her that he had asked Cheria to come home with him, and she would be coming eventually, he just didn't know when. His mother didn't push him on the subject, as every time she brought it up he became exceedingly gloomy.

He missed her, plain and simple.

Sophie missed her too, but she saw how Asbel was hurting, so she tried not to talk about it much. He was doing a great job taking care of her. The first thing he did when they had returned to Lhant was draw up papers to officially name her Sophie Lhant and adopt her into the family. Lady Keri had hugged her really tight, and Sophie had shed tears of happiness for the first time in her life.

Still, there were some things Cheria did that Asbel just couldn't fill in for. Asbel couldn't cook nearly as well, and he sometimes forgot to make sure she was brushing her hair and washing her clothes. When Sophie couldn't sleep, Cheria had tucked her in and kissed her on the forehead and stroked her hair until she fell asleep. Asbel tried to tell her stories, but they were all stories he had learned at the Knight Academy, so they were full of action and not very good for falling asleep.

A part of their family simply wasn't there without Cheria.

"You're thinking about Cheria."

Asbel glanced over at Sophie. She was staring at him with her head tilted to the side and a sad look on her face. Asbel gave her a miserable smile.

"How could you tell?" he sighed.

Sophie shrugged. "You always look sad when you think about her," she said slowly. "I miss her too."

"I know," he replied, getting to his feet. He moved around the edge of the flowerbed and sat down at her side, laying a hand on her head. "But she'll come home. She promised. So we'll just keep waiting for her, like we promised."

Sophie nodded. "Okay."

Asbel nodded back, smiling. "Okay."

The two of them continued weeding the flowerbeds, working late into the afternoon. Frederic brought them sandwiches and lemonade a couple of times, but otherwise they worked without pause. When they were finally finished, the sun had just begun to set. They stood side by side before the manor doors, each with dirt from their fingertips to their elbows, and surveyed their work proudly.

"They'll start glowing soon," Sophie said happily. "Once the sun sets. They've been getting brighter every night."

Asbel took a deep breath, the light smell of the sopherias filling his nose. "They look great, Sophie," he said sincerely. "Good job today."

"You too, Asbel," Sophie replied proudly. "Are we going to make the rounds now?"

Asbel grinned. "Good idea. Let's go."

Asbel had taken to walking through town every day just to see how things were. It gave the people a chance to talk to him as a neighbor rather than just their lord. Sophie usually accompanied him, and everyone was always happy to see her. Asbel had started calling these walks "making the rounds."

So the two of them walked into town, dirt-covered hands and all. People were used to seeing Sophie covered in dirt from the flowerbeds, so nobody would mind. A few people said hello as they walked past, and one or two even commented on how lovely the flowerbeds had been looking lately. They rounded the corner into the town square and came to a stop.

There was some kind of commotion up at the north gate. A knot of people had gathered around someone, and they could hear people talking and laughing from all the way across the square.

"I wonder what's going on," Asbel said quietly. Sophie shrugged. She opened her mouth to respond, but she stopped, eyes wide. Asbel followed her line of sight. The crowd had just shifted somewhat, revealing the person in the center. Asbel gasped.

"Cheria!" Sophie called ecstatically. Cheria turned at the sound of her voice and appeared to freeze at the sight of Asbel. The two of them stared at each other for a long moment. Then they were both running, Cheria racing down the stairs into the square and Asbel sprinting toward her as fast as he could. He didn't hesitate when he reached her. He scooped her up in his arms and spun her around in a circle, both of them laughing.

When he finally placed her back on her feet, his hands remained on her hips and hers on his shoulders, both of them panting and grinning.

"Cheria," Asbel whispered. She looked up into his eyes, blushing. "I'm so glad you're back."

And he wrapped her in his arms in a gentle embrace. Cheria wasn't sure what to do at first, but she relaxed against him after a few moments and rested her head on his shoulder.

"I've missed you," she replied quietly.

"We…" Asbel began, but then he stopped himself. "I've missed you too."

Cheria grinned, tears in her eyes. "I'm kind of surprised," she admitted. "I didn't expect you to… hold me like this so soon."

Asbel pulled back from her a bit, but his hands stayed on her waist. "Honestly, I'm kind of surprised too," he said with an awkward grin. "But I've been thinking about you non-stop since you left… and I realized that every moment I wasn't holding you like this was a moment I wasted."

Cheria just stared at him, stunned. Asbel blushed with embarrassment.

"Look… I'm not very good at saying things like this…" he began slowly. He reached up and brushed a few loose strands of hair behind her ear, stroking her cheek in the process. "But I'm in love with you, Cheria."

If possible, Cheria's eyes went even wider. Before either of them could say anything else, Sophie reached them. She was so happy to see Cheria, she was hopping on the balls of her feet. Asbel took one hand from Cheria's waist and pulled Sophie in with them, squishing the three of them into a cozy group hug.

When the group hug was over, Cheria fussed over Sophie for a bit, running her fingers through the tangles in her hair and frowning over the dirt on her hands. Only then did Sophie point out Asbel's equally dirty hands and the fact that he'd gotten dirt all over Cheria's dress and cheeks. She chastised the two of them for a bit, threatening to scrub them both raw when they got home.

And that's when they all realized it. Cheria had called the manor "home." Asbel and Sophie grinned at her while she blushed. Asbel offered her his hand.

"Come on, Cheria," he said quietly. "Let's go home."

Cheria took his hand shyly, and Sophie skipped along ahead of them. The sun had set by now, and the night air was cool. Asbel and Cheria walked slowly hand-in-hand, Asbel warning Sophie not to get too excited and trip as she raced ahead.

"Asbel?" Cheria asked, her voice barely above a whisper. Asbel looked over at her. She was looking at her feet, a blush coloring her cheeks.

"Yeah?" he replied, squeezing her hand. She glanced at him, smiling gently.

"I just… I wanted you to know…" she stammered. "I love you too."

Asbel stopped, and Cheria turned to look at him. He was smiling at her as he laid his hands on her hips and tugged her close. She just stared at him, mesmerized, as his mouth drew down to hers, and they shared their first kiss. She reached up and laid a hand on his cheek, guiding him closer, and they didn't move from that spot for a few minutes as they came to know the softness of each other's mouths.

When they finally drew apart, Cheria was out of breath and Asbel was blushing furiously. He just held her close until she regained her composure.

"Asbel? Cheria?" Sophie called from out of sight.

Cheria licked her lips and stepped away from Asbel's embrace. This time she took his hand, and, grinning, continued with him down the road to the manor. They caught up to Sophie in the courtyard just as the sopherias were beginning to glow. Sophie grabbed Cheria's other hand and dragged them both closer to the flowerbeds.

"Asbel helped me with them today," she said proudly. "Aren't they beautiful?"

"Yes, they are," Cheria replied, squeezing Asbel's hand. "You did a great job teaching him, Sophie."

"Hey," Asbel exclaimed in mock indignation. "I happen to have a natural talent for this. Right Sophie?"

"I don't know," Sophie replied thoughtfully. "You did complain a lot."

The three of them laughed in the glow of the sopherias, Cheria's hand never leaving Asbel's.

The blossomgale happened the very next day. The three of them watched it together, though Asbel and Cheria spent a lot of it kissing. Sophie was distracted by the flowers, so she didn't seem to mind. Later, Cheria followed through on her promise and cooked all of their favorite foods: curry for Asbel, crablettes for Sophie, and a grilled chicken bowl for herself. Asbel kept stealing bites of Cheria's chicken, causing it to be a rather noisy meal, but they all laughed a great deal, and Lady Keri kept walking by the dining room to steal looks at her son and future daughter-in-law so happy together.

They were married six months later. All of their friends reunited for the wedding. Hubert got a little tipsy and kissed Pascal at the reception.

They were married four months later.


End file.
